Trial Judge Bribery Case: P&H High Court Seeks ED's Response To Realtor Roop Bansal's Request To Withdraw Quashing Plea

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Haryana Government on the plea filed by real estate developer Roop Bansal, seeking to withdraw a petition filed by him back in April this year, for quashing the FIR lodged against him for conspiring to bribe a Trial Court judge.Bansal is booked under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and for criminal conspiracy under Section 120B IPC.His first plea for quashing of FIR was was withdrawn in February to file it afresh, with better particulars. The second quashing plea was then filed in April. However, Bansal again approached the Court to withdraw it. This second plea for withdrawal was listed before two judges and was subsequently placed before the CJ over allegations of bench hunting by the realtor. As the CJ eventually recused, the matter was listed today before Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul.The judge orally observed that Bansal had not come to the Court with clean hands, because he suppressed the facts of his first plea.Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Bansal however referred to the index of the petition and pointed that the order whereby the earlier petition was withdrawn (in February) was attached to the petition.He then submitted that during the pendency of the present petition, based on the FIR under challenge, the ED had filed a prosecution complaint in furtherance of the ECIR registered by it.Senior Panel Counsel Zoheb Hossain appearing along with Senior Panel Counsel for UOI Lokesh Narang for ED pointed to the history of the case and submitted there is something "amiss". He said, "This case was originally filed sometimes in January-2025 and was listed for the first time before...who was holding the roster of matters pertaining to Prevention of Corruption Act qua State of Haryana. Incidentally, Justice...recused himself on 14.01.2025, hereafter as per standing instructions in the prevailing roster, case came to be listed on 13.02.2025 before Justice... On this day i.e. 13.02.2025, the said case was dismissed as withdrawn at the request of learned counsel for petitioner. Thereafter on 07.04.2025, present case...was filed by petitioner represented by Shri J.K.Singla, Advocate, whose cases are not listed before Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul. Resultantly, this case was placed before Chief Justice on administrative side..."The Court then asked the ED and the State to file their response. The matter is now listed for September 17, for further consideration.Recently the State Bar Council had taken cognisance of alleged "bench hunting" tactics employed in the Roop Bansal case. Sixteen advocates were summoned for an inquiry into accusations that they may have been involved in the matter.The Chief Justice had orally observed during the hearing that the case was filed by him just to "get the case out of a particular bench.""We are reminded of the Mahabharata, where the silence of wise men in Dhuryodhana's court led to the disrobing of Draupati. This serves as a grim reminder that silence and inaction in the face of injustice enable further injustice," the Council said.In its last order it had called for complaints against lawyers or litigants involved in bench hunting or forum shopping.Case Tite: ROOP BANSAL V/S STATE OF HARYANA AND ORS.

Trial Judge Bribery Case: P&H High Court Seeks ED's Response To Realtor Roop Bansal's Request To Withdraw Quashing Plea

Aiman J. Chishti

Tags